A Fragile Soul
by CanzetYote
Summary: Oneshot. After a terrifying nightmare, Sniff questions his worth as a friend.


**NOTE:** _This is my first ever Moomins fic, a oneshot hurt/comfort with Sniff as the hurt one and Moominmama and Little My as his comforters. The story opens up with a pretty brutal and vivid nightmare Sniff is having. It's pretty cruel and tortorous but don't get me wrong: Sniff is my favorite character for 2 reasons:_

_1. I'm a furry, Sniff is an adorable kangaroo/aardvark-like creature. Take a good guess who got me hooked on the series. _

_2. Sniff's personality reminds me much of myself. I'm very neurotic, cowardly and a little self-centered. I also eat a lot like him and his overall attitude reminds me of myself. I love characters I can relate to in some way._

_It was hard for me to put Sniff through this kinda torture, but this IS the hurt/comfort genre we're talking about here and I'm a sucker for that kinda stuff, ESPECIALLY if the character is a "Woobie" to begin with._

_Anyway, I'm completely new to the whole Moomin fandom. I live in California where Moomin is virtually unknown. I got hooked on the 1990 cartoon on the internet but never read the books before. Hopefully, this oneshot won't get flamed too brutally because of my lack of book knowledge. Also, there's a pop culture reference to the movie E.T. that I felt like I just had to throw in._

It was a cool autumn night in the forest. The sky was clear and it was dead silent. A young kangaroo-like creature dashed through the dark, spooky woods. His heart pounded in his chest as chills ran up and down his spine. He could feel the Groke's icy eyes boring deep within his soul and watching his every move. Eventually, he saw a clearing and stopped. Sniff closed his eyes, breathing heavily, heart pounding a mile a minute. He turned his head back to the forest and felt the presence no longer. The Groke was gone. Curiously, he faced away from the forest and gasped at the sight of Moomintroll, Snufkin and Snorkmaiden playing together. The three were kicking a ball and Sniff gasped in shock, "What are you guys doing up so late? Your parents must be worried sick?"

Moomintroll smirked and turned to face the kangaroo-like creature, "Don't try to worry so much, Sniff. You might just get an ulcer. Speaking of parents, where are yours?"

Snorkmaiden tilted her head, "What's wrong, did they abandon you?"

"You guys are acting really strangely." Sniff observed, "And what about my parents?"

Snufkin sneered at him, "I don't think his parents wanted him. The greedy piece of trash cares more about money than us."

Snorkmaiden mocked Sniff in a sing-song voice, "Poor, poor little Sniff. Nobody wants him. He's just a silly, useless waste of space."

Sniff's ears wilted, "That's not very nice."

"Nor is the fact that you care about money more than friends. Face it, your nothing but a materialistic retard and an ugly freak." Snufkin hissed.

"No one loves you. Your parents threw you out because they never even wanted you in the first place and you know what? I have always hated you." Moomintroll laughed.

Snorkmaiden grinned at Moomintroll and Snufkin, "Say, boys. How about me maul him real good and break him into little pieces? Put the ugly beast out of his misery."

"I...I...thought you guys were my f-friends." Sniff whimpered, his vision fogging up with tears.

"What a joke, the freak is leaking from its eyes." Snufkin mocked, gently stroking Sniff's long neck.

Suddenly, Snufkin began to transform. He grew almost 10 feet tall and took the form of a scarecrow with a jack-o'-lantern head and a fiery mouth with a forked snake tongue and his hands became razor sharp raptor talons. Snufkin grabbed Sniff by his neck and hoisted him up in the air. Tears streamed freely down Sniff's muzzle and he begged for mercy but Snufkin showed none as he slowly stabbed his talons into Sniff's chest and raked down, leaving a long, bloody gash of a scratch. Sniff howled in agony and screamed, "I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SO SO SO SO SO SORRY!"

Snorkmaiden transformed as well, turning into a massive crablike creature, twice as big as Sniff with an eyeball hanging out of her socket and a sadistic smirk on her mutated face, "Sorry just doesn't cut it. But breaking your legs just might."

"No...no...NO NO NO!" Sniff howled in pain as Snorkmaiden broke his leg as if it were a twig. His face and muzzle were completely drenched with tears as he screamed from the excruciating pain in his broken leg.

Now it was Moomintroll's turn to transform. He grew ten feet tall, just like Snufkin and he grew large, muscular arms and dragon wings. His face looked like that of a deformed pug dog with pus-oozing warts and a severe underbite with bloody fangs. That's when Snufkin hoisted Sniff up and Moomintroll started using the poor, helpless creature as a punching bag, slamming his fist repeatedly into Sniff's muzzle, each punch hitting harder than the last. Spitting out teeth and tears still streaming from blackened eyes, Sniff begged and pleaded with them to stop. For ten agonizing minutes, the beating went on until Snufkin threw Sniff's battered and broken body to the ground and Snorkmaiden spit on it.

Moomintroll, Snorkmaiden and Snufkin walked away, laughing about the horrible thing they had just done to poor Sniff as snow began falling from the sky. Sniff could feel the icy chill of winter, freezing the tears and stinging the cuts on his face like acid as he dragged his beaten body to a tree. It seemed to take an eternity but in actuality, it only took him 20 minutes to reach the tree.

Finally, he collapsed from exhausting trek, weeping softly and helplessly. Sniff felt completely empty, like a large, gaping hole of darkness was slowly swallowing his soul up. He tried so desperately to hug himself for warmth but it just got colder and colder and colder. His bloody tears had literally left red, stained icicles hanging from his whiskers and nose. Whimpering brokenly, he tried not to succumb to the freezing cold. He had lost too much blood from the savage beating to produce warmth in his body. He shut his eyes and opened them to see the figure of Little My, "Little My...is that...you? Please help me..." His voice was weak and raspy as the redhead girl approached him.

Little My tilted her head, "Who the heck are you?"

Sniff's ears wilted, "It's me...Sniff...your friend. Don't you...remember?"

"Friend?" Little My repeated, "I don't even know you! You're a complete stranger and not worth my time at all. In fact, I DON'T even LIKE YOU!"

An icy tear rolled down Sniff's face as those words stabbed him like a mass of steak knives, "Little My..."

Little My glared at the injured kangaroo creature and kicked him as hard as she could in the nose, "I wish you were never even born."

And with that, Little My left and Sniff's expression was that of pure shock and horror. For the first time ever in his life, Sniff truly wanted to die. He wanted something to come along to pull the plug and end his suffering. He closed his eyes and wept softly. His face painted with a mixture of tears, blood and frost. It was then that he heard a mournful wail in the distance. Blinking his eyes to clear his vision, Sniff focused on the direction the sound was coming from. He turned his head and saw the distinct silhouette of The Groak approaching.

It wasn't long before The Groke was a short distance from Sniff and he choked out brokenly, "Just...do what you want with me...get it over with...I'm a lost cause..."

Suddenly, Sniff could feel an icy, breathy demonic voice whispering into his ears, "True lonelinesssss...you will undergo the transssssformation." The Groke was communicating with Sniff telepathically.

Sniff's eyes snapped open and he looked down at his arm. It was all purple and bloated. The kangaroo creature gasped, "No, not that. Please...no..."

The transformation was slow and painful, particularly the part where Sniff's long snout pushed back into his face and became a large, purple nose. The Groke watched stoically as Sniff transformed into a Groke himself and by the time the transformation was complete, The Groke held up a mirror for Sniff to look at his new self, "No..." Sniff whispered in a soft yet demonic voice. He wanted to cry, but his tear ducts were literally frozen shut. He was a Groke now, a hideous monster that froze everything it touched. Truly a fate worse than death. Sniff curled up in his new form and sobbed tearlessly

"Now you know...what it'sssss like to be completely and absssssolutely alone...jusssst like meeeeeee..." The Groke hissed telepathically to Sniff.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Suddenly, Sniff sprung awake, gasping for air. His eyes darted over to the clock which read 2:45 AM. His fur was soaked with sweat and he was shivering uncontrollably. He could feel his long snout was mysteriously wet and a drop of whatever it was rolled into his mouth. Out of instinct, his tongue flicked out and caught the drop. Tears. Bitter saline. The kangaroo-like creature had been crying in his sleep, he was so terrified. Usually, he was a heavy sleeper but never before had he experienced a nightmare so surreal and terrifying.

Sniff looked around the room, blinking at the tears that had misted up his vision. It almost felt like time was going in slow motion. He felt like he had just been violated not physically but psychologically. Heart pounding, he slowly got up and walked across the hall to the bedroom door of Moomintroll's parents. He felt sick to his stomach, having to ask Moominmama to comfort him. Sniff already felt like a burden to his friends, his greed always getting them into trouble. Maybe he really was useless. Useless. Good for absolutely nothing. The kangaroo creature doubled over and fell to his knees, vomit gushing out of his mouth and all over the floor in front of the Moominparents' bedroom. Tears ran down his face anew but he wasn't sure if the tears came from the vomit reflex or the searing heartache in his chest.

Getting up, Sniff walked past the puddle of vomit and into the bathroom. Getting a towel off the rack, he walked back to the puddle and placed the towel over it. Suddenly, the door creaked open and Moominmama walked out, "Sniff? What are you doing up at this hour?"

Sniff froze, his ears wilting from guilt, "I'm...I'm so sorry."

"For what, Sniff? You didn't do anything wrong..." Moominmama replied.

Sniff looked at the floor, warm tears rolling down his muzzle, making wet lines from the corners of his eyes to the tip of his nose. One by one, Sniff's tears hit the hardwood floor. His sobs intensified quickly and he was soon crying so hard he could barely even speak. The poor, heartbroken creature collapsed to his knees and wept openly. Moominmama walked around the barf puddle and knelt beside Sniff, putting her arms around the traumatized kangaroo creature and pulling him into a warm embrace and letting him cry on her shoulder. As Sniff's crying quieted down, he finally spoke up, "Moominmama...do you think I'm a burden to my friends?"

Moominmama tenderly ran her fingers along the bridge of Sniff's long muzzle, wiping a few of his tears away, "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

Sniff sobbed a little, "B-b-because I'm so greedy and useless. And...and what if they a-a-abandon me? I...I don't want to be alone, Moominmama. I-I'm scared of being alone..."

Moominmama gently gave Sniff a soothing back rub, "They would never do that. Whatever gave you that idea?"

Sniff wiped his eyes with the back of his paw, "Nightmare...I turned into The Groke...I'm such a baby, I know."

Moominmama shook her head as she thumbed another tear from Sniff's face, "Of course not. We all get bad dreams sometime. I used to cry for my parents whenever I had a bad dream. You shouldn't be ashamed of tears, Sniff. It's healthy to cry every once in a while."

Sniff sniffled and tried to smile, "I sometimes cry when I watch soap oper-"

Suddenly, the kangaroo-like beast slapped his paws over his mouth and blushed. Moominmama giggled, "Oh, don't worry, Sniff. I won't tell Little My."

Sniff nodded and sighed, "Sorry I threw up in front on your door, Moominmama. I'll get it cleaned up, I promise."

Moominmama placed a hand on Sniff's shoulder, "That's all right, Sniff. I'll take care of it. You should go back to bed, get some rest."

Sniff shook his head, "Not after that nightmare I had, Moominmama. I need to get some fresh air to clear my head."

Moominmama nodded, "All right, Sniff. Take as long as you like."

Taking a deep breath, Sniff got up and walked down the stairs. He walked past the kitchen and opened the front door. He stepped out of the Moomin house and gazed deep into the moonlight. Normally, he would be too terrified to go out at night but he was in such a deep depression, he just couldn't care either way. Sniff curled up under a tree, just as he had in his dream. Blinking back the sting of hot tears, he tried his best to hug himself to stop himself from crying again. His mouth and nose already felt dried out from so many salty tears being shed, he didn't want to cry again.

Meanwhile, Little My woke up with a yawn. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around the room and saw Sniff's bed was empty, "Weird. Sniff almost always sleeps like a log. Maybe the crybaby had some horrible nightmare about the economy going bankrupt." She spoke to herself.

Getting up out of bed, Little My walked out into the hallway where she saw Moominmama cleaning up Sniff's puddle of vomit, "Why, hello there, Little My. What are you doing up so early?"

"I have to pee." Little My replied bluntly, "By the way, Sniff is usually fast asleep at this hour. Is something up with him?"

Moominmama nodded, "Poor Sniff. He had a bad dream. I've never seen him so distressed."

Little My rolled her eyes, "There's something new. So, where is he?"

"Outside, he said that he needs fresh air." Moominmama replied.

Little My nodded, "I'll go smack some sense into that wimp when I'm done taking a whiz. He needs some friendly support if you know what I mean." The young redhead then walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her with a custom-built knob to reach her short height.

"Just be gentle with him, he was really upset when I talked to him." Moominmama replied as she continued to scrub Sniff's barf.

Meanwhile, Sniff sat under the tree, ears wilted. Deep thoughts ran through his head. He had come an awful long way with Moomintroll and his friends. But one question lingered in his mind: Did they even like him? Thoughts of the nightmare raced through Sniff's brain. Every last insult, every last physical blow from his beloved friends. The bruises, the cuts, the broken bones, the intense hatred that hit him like a wall of bricks. He had never felt so insecure, so vulnerable, so hurt and terrified. Sniff rarely had such deep thoughts but that dream. That horrible, horrible dream. He just couldn't shake it off. It was like pure emotional rape on his mind and spirit and it just broke his heart to pieces. The kangaroo creature hugged himself the tightest he ever could, trying to cuddle himself for comfort.

Five minutes ticked by and every single second, Sniff found himself sinking deeper and deeper into the dark abyss of his troubled thoughts. Despite the fact that Moominmama hugged him and wiped his tears away, it did little to heal his subconcious trauma, the deep, dark fear that one day his friends would get sick of his constant complaining, money schemes and worrying and abandon him. Leave him all alone in the harsh, painful world with no one to lean on.

"Yo, Sniff!" Little My shouted.

Sniff turned his attention to the little redhead girl, "Oh...hey Little My."

Little My examined and prodded at Sniff for a bit, "Geez, Sniff. You look like you've stayed up watching too many horror movies. Didja wet yourself?"

"Oh ha ha ha, very funny." Sniff replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "Just so you know, I just had the worst nightmare of my life."

Little My smirked, "Lemme guess, was it the dream where Stinky stole your pancakes and ate them in front of your face?"

Sniff folded his arms, "This is serious, Little My. And as serious as food is to me, this is something much more important."

"Money?" Little My asked, still smirking.

Sniff rolled his eyes again, "Oh, come on. Now you're just making fun of me. No, it's not about money, either."

Little My shrugged, "I give up. Just tell me already."

"It's about friends..." Sniff replied sadly, feeling his eyes well up with hot tears, "Little My, I want you to promise me something."

Little My rolled her eyes, "That I'll never steal your food again and make fun of your ears?"

Sniff ignored the redhead's snide remark as he whimpered softly, "Promise me that you'll never leave me...no matter what. No matter how much I whine an complain. No matter how greedy I get. No matter how much I screw things up..." Sniff felt tears trickle down the side of his snout as he hung his head, "L-l-l-little...M-my...I...I don't want to be the Groke. I DON'T WANT TO BE THE GROKE!"

The kangaroo creature broke down in sobs and Little My stared at him in shock as several sparkling tears dripped off his nose and whiskers into the grass, "So, that explains what all those waterworks are about. You know, Sniff, you really are stupid. Dreams aren't real and you're wasting your tears on a silly little phobia. I can see why you're upset but you know, you aren't the only one with problems to deal with."

"I'm sorry, Little My, I'm so, so, SO sorry!" Sniff wept. Suddenly, Little My punched the kangaroo-like beast in the arm as hard as she possibly could. Sniff whimpered and rubbed his arm, "OW! What was that for?"

Little My crossed her arms, "For apologizing and crying like a complete idiot. You aren't the only one who has problems around here. You may be an idiot, but trust me, I'm just as messed up as you are."

Sniff brushed away a tear, "What are you talking about?"

Little My sighed, "I've done a LOT of stupid stuff. You're at least smart enough to not pick fights. You see, all of us have a different way of thinking. I like to think with my fists and trust me, my temper has gotten me in lots of trouble with authority before. When I get mad, I smash things. How do you think that makes me feel?"

"Sorry?" Sniff replied meekly

"No, it makes me feel tough. It makes me feel strong. You, on the other hand think with your gut. If you get a bad feeling about something, you don't like acting on it unless riches are involved. You're a wimpy little bark and no bite, I'm all bite and a ton of bark. Do you catch my drift?" Little My asked.

"I think so." Sniff nodded as he rubbed his tearstained muzzle.

Little My nodded, "My point exactly. You know, sometimes I worry deep down that my temper will scare all my friends off but you know what? We're all true friends here. We may have our falling outs but in the end, we'll always be there for one another."

"I guess you're right." Sniff nodded, "But there's still one thing I want to know, if I think with my gut and you think with your fists, how does everyone else think?"

Little My smiled one of her rare happy-smiles, "Moomin thinks with his heart, Too Ticky thinks with her brain and Snufkin thinks with his soul."

"What about Snorkmaiden?" Sniff asked.

Little My got a mischievous grin on her face, "Snorkmaiden thinks with her breasts. Just don't tell her I said that."

Sniff couldn't help but snicker a little, "Okay, that wasn't very nice but I'll admit, it was pretty funny."

Little My nodded, "The truth hurts sometimes. Anyway, there's something I wanna give ya. You know, cause you're a friend and all."

Sniff's ears perked up and he gasped with joy, "A gold coin?"

Little My shook her head, "Something better." And with that, the little redhead wrapped her arms around Sniff and pulled him into a tight hug, cuddling into him.

Sniff blinked a few times in confusion, "Little My? Are you...feeling all right? You're hugging me! Are you sure you're not an alien imposter whose after my brain?"

Little My smirked, "If you leave Reeses Pieces out at night, I sure am."

Sniff looked more confused than ever, "Reeses Pieces? What does candy have to do with this?"

Little My groaned, "Obviously, you've never seen E.T. before."

Sniff shrugged, "Guess I should see it sometime, then."

Little My folded her arms, "Only when I'm not around. Trust me, it'll make you cry and the last thing I want to hear is that whiny, nasally sobbing of yours."

Sniff sighed, "I don't like sad movies. Or scary ones. I like funny movies and documentaries on coin collecting and pancakes."

"That's perfectly normal." Little My replied sarcastically.

"So is strapping yourself to a kite and going up hundreds of feet in the air." Sniff returned the sarcastic barb.

Little My nodded, "Touche, Sniff. Just remember that having a few faults doesn't make you a bad person, it just makes you human."

Sniff looked confused, "Funny, I don't look human."

Little My rolled her eyes, "It's an expression, you big, furry moron."

The girl and kangaroo-like creature burst into laughter as the sun rose on the horizon. No longer was Sniff in a bleak depression. Little My had both literally and figuratively punched some confidence back into him. It had been a long and traumatizing night for poor Sniff but he knew that his friends would be beside him every step of the way no matter his faults and quirks and that he would never be alone. He would never reach the level of loneliness of The Groke and everything would be cake and sunshine. The end.


End file.
